Notre Dame’s Clausen pushes BC player after game
Following Notre Dame’s 20-16 win over Boston College on Saturday, Jimmy Clausen went to shake the hand of Eagle player Rich Gunnell, who appeared to have a few choice words for the Irish quarterback.
So Clausen said, “Hey Rich, let’s be cool here. We both tried really hard today and sportsmanship is my life. I think the world of you and I appreciate your friendship.”
Okay, so Clausen didn’t say any of that. He actually pushed Gunnell and the whole incident was caught on television. (Thanks to SPORTSbyBROOKS.com for the video tip.)
Now, who knows what Gunnell said and who knows what the players said to each other during the game. Obviously the moment isn’t good for Clausen, but these aren’t choirboys here. A push seems kind of mild in the grand scheme of things.
The bigger story is how Notre Dame continues to struggle against Boston College. The Irish’s victory was ugly at best.
Posted in: College Football, Video
Tags: 2009 College Football Week 8, College Football Week 8, College Football Week 8 scoreboard, Jimmy Clausen, Jimmy Clausen Jimmy Rich Gunnell push, Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame, Jimmy Clausen push, Jimmy Clausen pushes Boston College player, Jimmy Clausen pushes Boston College player video, Jimmy Clausen video, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Boston College, Rich Gunnell
The video clearly shows that Clausen went to shake the BC player’s hand, and the guy started talking smack. Serves the BC kid right.
Whatever Gunnell said, Clausen made himself look like a jerk. On national television, he should have been smart enough to throw up his hands and walk away. Maybe Clausen said or did something during the game to warrant being called out for it.
The surprising thing was that neither Tom Hammond or Pat Haden made ANY mention of it whatsoever.
Clausen did not look like the jerk. The Boston College player did. He was shooting his mouth of when Clausen tried to shake his hand. Hammond and Haden should have commented on the poor sportsmanship of the BC player.
If you notice Clausen after every game goes to key players and shakes their hand out of good sportsmanship. Even after Gunnell’s clearly butt hurt about losing Clausen brushed it off and went to other Eagle players to show his sportsmanship to those who actually deserve it.
“Maybe Clausen said or did something during the game to warrant being called out for it.” -Anony
it’s a game all players exchange words with each other…it’s called taunting it’s to get under their skin. Obviously Gunnell doesn’t know how to cope with it maturely.
Clausen had no right to push another player. There may be more to the story than meets the eye. A simple remarke like ” We kick your a– again” would have been fine. Never push after the game. ND is a sorry team with all the talent they have and let these schools take them to the limit.
The real jerk is the dope who wrote this one-sided article. “Obviously the moment isn’t good for Clausen…” -really? So Gunnell didn’t make a complete fool of himself on national TV. Sore loser? He stepped up and put his finger in the face of someone who was going to commend him. The shove was barely a shove. Claussen set the guy back and walked off and it was the right thing to do. Tough break, Gunnell. You’re not only a loser but a clown, too. You’ll make a nice fit in the NFL.
@Brian, blame Wise, not the team. The ND coaching staff is poor.
Good for Jimmy! Clausen was trying to be a good sport and Gunnell got in his face. I would be embarressed to call that a “push”. It was more like “get out of my face”. How dumb that this minor crap gets so much press.
Jimmy was being a good sport. The BC player was being a donkey
Jason “The Reach”,
I’m a dope because I talked about the more recognizable Clausen and not a no-name BC player?
I hope you attack writers for better reasons than this. You’re reaching just to be an a-hole.
Following yesterday’s 20-16 Irish victory, Gunnell spurned Clausen when the ND QB went up to shake hands after a game in which both players excelled. Gunnell had 10 receptions for a career-high 179 yards, while Clausen was 26-of-39 passing for 246 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
According to the Eagles tri-captain, the rebuff was not a case of sour grapes.
“In the beginning of the game, we were warming up and running out on the field and he (Claussen) was out there chirping, talking trash. And then he went up and pushed (BC receiver) Justin Jarvis for no reason,” Gunnell said. “I just looked at him and said ‘What are you doing? Who do you think you are?’ And he’s sitting there still talking. Then afterward, he’s trying to be all friendly and I didn’t want to hear that. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
So, who’s the thug now??
THOUGHT SO, idiots.
Ouch, thin skin for a “writer.” You can’t take criticism for your non-story? What a pro…
“Obviously the moment isn’t good for Clausen”
Is this a report of what happened, or a commentary?
If this is a commentary, good job….I guess, if you are reporting, try again.
Ouch, thin skin for a “writer.” You can’t take criticism for your non-story? What a pro…
I love it. Readers can take cheap shots at writers, but if the writer responds he has thin skin or isn’t professional. You call me a dope and I defend myself, but I’m not professional.
Again, Jason, you’re reaching. You’re calling it a non-story, yet you’ve taken time out of your life not once, but twice to respond. I can take criticism, but the criticism has to be valid. Your criticism isn’t even close to valid. I’ve been called names for worthier causes than yours.
“Obviously the moment isn’t good for Clausen”
Is this a report of what happened, or a commentary?
If this is a commentary, good job….I guess, if you are reporting, try again.
Jim – I’m not reporting anything. It’s a sports blog and it was my opinion.
I know Rich Gunnell personally. The man is the laid back type that will speak his mind when provoked just like any other man would. He never put his hands on Clausen. Therefore, Clausen shouldn’t have put his hands on him. He’s lucky he didn’t get knocked the F out. I bet if he wasn’t on the field, he wouldn’t have pushed my man. Clausen made himself look like a bum on national TV. Yeah, I said it.
The Best: Your boy Rich Gunnell is a little bitch
when clausen “pushes” him he barely even moves, its not like he pushed him to the ground. maybe his coach should tell him how to be graceful loser and walk off the field instead of being a disrespectful punk when someone comes up to you and wants to shake your hand. He was just being a big cry baby because they thought they were going to go in there and take home a win and they failed.
Regardless of what went on before and during the game, afterwards is time for commending and congratulating.
I highly doubt that Clausen was the only one on either team to start some stuff before the game –on both sides of the team. I also highly doubt Clausen’s taunting before the game was isolated and or unprovoked. They both may go to Catholic schools, but that doesn’t make them Saints!
Anyone who thinks otherwise needs a reality check and is no better than the parents interviewed after their child is accused of a something they’d swear their kid would NEVER do.
Regardless of the trash talking that happened before the game, afterwards is time to be respectful even if it means not being completely genuine. I think it would have been more impactful had Gunnell been overly appreciative and complimentary and killed him with kindness. It would have made Clausen look like an arse, which was in intention obviously.
Gunnell and Clausen had their exchange right in front of a camera and right in front of a seemingly clueless reporter. Clausen shouldn’t have touched him, but Gunnell should have just let it go after the game. Its done. Game over until next year.
Compared to the fights that break out at other schools’ games, this is really nothing.
I personally am glad the commentators did not dwell on discussing it. There was a much bigger story of the day, like Herzlich’s amazing story and everyone’s support of him despite who they were cheering for.
Whatever hit the nail on the head. Herzlich is awesome, Gunnell is a crybaby thug who would probably be coming through your bedroom window at night if he couldnt catch a football. I know if I walked up to someone and they put thier finger in my face, and started in on me, I would have done the same. Trash talking before the game? Who cares, if Gunnell makes it into the NFL, and Ray Lewis decides to trash talk whats he going to do? This is football not soccer.
Clausen looked like a little bitch flapping his arms like my 5 yr old neice. Notre Dame hasn’t been relevant since Bill Clinton got a blow job in the oval office. 1-10 in their last 11 bowl games? ND is a fucking joke just like Clausen
Both sides are losers here…the BC dude had bad sportsmanship, and Clausen looked like a D-Bag. You don’t push someone unless the dude pushed you first. If Blount didn’t punch that dude earlier in the season and get all the attention for it, i would expect this would of been escalated. JC looks like a douch anyway. I love how all the ND fanboys are saying Clausen didn’t do anything wrong….come on irish.
This is what the BC receiver said about it.
“At the beginning of the game, he was out there chirping and talking trash,” said Gunnell. “And then he went out and just pushed [BC receiver] Justin Jarvis for no reason. I looked at him and said, ‘What are you doing?’
“Afterwards, he was trying to be all friendly. It just rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed real fake. He tried to push one of my teammates. He tried to say good game. I thought it was phony.”
JC=DBAG
If the only witness was a reporter, you’d think we would know what words were exchanged leaving up to the push. I thought the BC dude (didn’t know his name until reading this blog) came off like a punk when he started with the finger in the face. Then I was disappointed as an ND fan that Clausen pushed Gunnell, he should have just turned around and walked away. But Clausen is a fast learner, I’d bet if this ever happens again, Gunnell still goes off, but Clausen turns his back on the finger pointer. Trust me Lewis does more than talk trash and if Gunnell is across the line from him, he’ll learn that the hard way.